Responsibility and Adventure

As I type it’s Sunday night around 10:30. Juliana is at Ridge’s and I’m thinking about my day tomorrow.. getting up, chceking email, packing my suitcase then heading to the other side of town to meet my buyer at the Harris Teeter office and driving to the airport after. Then landing in Baltimore, driving up to PA and meeting my coworkers for dinner.

I enjoy Turkey Hill and am fortunate to have the job I do. I have awesome coworkers, a beautiful home in the burbs and the sweetest five year old who makes being a mommy better than I ever imagined. I am blessed.

Things have changed a lot in the last six years and I am proud of the life I’ve been able to provide for Juliana- a top preschool, new home and lots of organic milk in the fridge. It’s a peaceful life and I love many aspects of it. But something is missing.

When we get out of college we play- it’s those years where society tells us ‘Live it up.’ Then we hit our late 20s and early 30s- have children, a mortgage, a car payment- and a job to provide for it all. They are wonderful responsibilities. But on the flip side life can feel like a laundry list of to-do’s: the weekdays are for work and shuffling the kids to school and extracurriculars. The evenings are are for homework and online shopping or a glass of wine with the neighbors. The weekends are for laundry, grocery shopping and birthday parties at the bouncy house complex. It’s all good but it feels like something is still missing.

I’ve always been the adventurous one in my family- I went to college seven hours away then took a first job on the other side of the country. A few years later, I moved to Hawaii. I learned how to surf and how to operate in a very different culture. My comfort zone was constantly being stretched and those years were thrilling because they were an adventure. 

As we start to do the ‘adult’ things, was often lose that sense of adventure. We find ourseleves with all this wonderful responsibility. And if you’re like me a little voice inside questions,

Does it have to be a trade off? 

Can responsibility and adventure coexist? I believe they can. Adventure means something different for each of us but for me it’s about not getting comfortable. Shaking up the routine, experiencing new things and getting far, far outside my comfort bubble. There’s no reason that can’t happen just because we’re moms, home owners or career professionals.

I made a decision last month. A choice to pursue adventure in a whole new way. I’m excited, TERRIFIED, giddy. I feel more alive than I’ve felt in a long time. And the best part is that Juliana will be at my side. I can’t wait to share the details with you as things get going.

Maybe you’re reading and have the right adventure balance already.

But if you’re anything like me, why not do a little soul searching?

XO,

Terra